Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps
The officers commanding the Rhulic fortress of Hammerfall select and train riflemen to form the venerable High Shield Gun Corps. Members of the Gun Corps exemplify the skill, discipline, and powerful resolve of their people. Hammerfall regiment commanders have made a small fortune by hiring out their men for the Immorese coin that flows so freely in these times of war. These highly trained and well-disciplined fighting units can be compelling options for military leaders who want to bolster their regular army forces.Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries Mk2 Well-equipped and heavily armored, the Gun Corps forms crack units of riflemen trained to maneuver and fight in formation. Their shields are ideally suited to hold up the heavy dual barrels of their Rhulic war-rifles. Like arrow slits in a battlement, Gun Corps’ shields bristle with rifles blasting away at every target in sight. Sending the Highshields into Mercenary service accomplishes a number of ends for Rhul. First and foremost it fills House coffers. Second is the invaluable experience it gives to the dwarven soldiers while keeping Rhul neutral to direct conflict. First hand knowledge will serve to strengthen the fortress when these soldiers are recalled to duty at Hammerfall. In order to more efficiently accomplish this, Gun Corps units are rotated into and out of mercenary service on a regular basis. This has given a large number of gunners a taste of battle on the human front. The vast reserve force at Hammerfall is never depleted and part of the profit from every field unit is returned back to the fortress to be put toward better equipment and armor for the force as a whole. Thus the gunners find profit for themselves as well as the overall Rhulic war effort.No Quarter #6 The final benefit of having troops serving on foreign soil, is that it allows Rhul to maintain a daily awareness of affairs in the war front across the southlands, a benefit that has been exploited by House Dhurg to silence critics. By seeking employment with both Khador and Cygnar, they are able to watch both sides of the conflict that rages outside Rhulic borders. Information is primarily received through letters home and financial reports from the units in the field. The exception to this are detailed reports requested by the Stone Lords and Stone House Jhord in particular, which handles the gathering of intelligence. First and foremost they want information about the most current battlefield tactics used by the human warcasters. They also seek detailed reports on the newest warjacks such as the Cygnaran Thunderhead and the Khadoran Behemoth. Though impressively equipped, the Gun Corps’ real strength lies in its discipline and in the capability of its officers. Years of training allow corps members to position themselves so that a unit can unleash lethal clouds of lead over or between their comrades. The impressive firepower they can bring to bear has inspired more than one client to berate his own riflemen for being unable to emulate the flawless ranked fire of hired Gun Corps soldiers. Trained as ’jack marshals to defend Hammerfall, Gun Corps sergeants occasionally supplement the firepower of their units with Rhulic warjacks. The sight of a Ghordson Driller towering over a solid line of dwarven guns has changed the outcome of more than one battle — though such an upgrade is available only to the highest-paying customers. Until peace settles on western Immoren or the co ers of younger races run dry, the Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps will continue to sweep battlefields clean for the right price. The tactics employed by the Gun Corps, like their unerring ranking fire that bombards their enemy from around their mates, make them well prepared for battle in current conflicts in Western Immoren. Heavily armored, the Gun Corps provides a movable strong point for field commanders. They are trained to respond instantly to the command of their Sergeant, forming an almost impenetrable wall with their shields. Far from merely a defensive formation, the gunners can unleash a withering covered fusillade with their double-barreled rifles, deftly avoiding their shield mates and obliterating enemy infantry in their line of fire. Their shields are brilliantly designed to give the gunners a steady place to rest their deadly rifles during these volleys and peer out from safety. In a pinch the dwarves can have-to with their trusty axes, but it is while at a distance that they are most effective. In addition to keeping his gunners in tight and effective formations, the Sergeant of a High Shield unit is trained as a Jack Marshal. He can control a Rhulic warjack and many opposing commanders have changed their battle plan rather than try and dislodge a Gun Corps unit with a Ghordson Driller attached to it. Training their Sergeants in this manner allows the Gun Corps to take advantage of their ability to operate as an independent unit, easily anchoring the flank of a battle far from their warcaster. Adding a ‘jack to the unit obviously increases cost but is often well worth the extra expense. It is in the dwarven nature to want to leave something behind that will last longer than his lifetime, as a legacy to others. This is most often in the form of monuments of stone or great structures. Another way to do that is to be part of something bigger than any individual. This makes being picked for training in a High Shield company is a great honor for a dwarf. Once in their ranks, any gunner who is considering venturing out as a mercenary is given further incentive to go abroad with a substantial pay increase over those who stay back at the fortress. This ensures the gunners are anxious for this duty and hit the road to conflict with high spirits. Units of dwarven gunners are highly sought after by warcasters who know of the Rhulic reputation for combat prowess and honor. The dwarves of Rhul believe that war is waged to settle disputes or prove skill, not to sack and pillage. They are a known quantity and solid in the midst of battle, with a professionalism that is the envy of rowdier human companies. They are proud of their reputation for being tough, always prepared, and ready for anything. References Category:Warmachine Category:Rhul Category:Mercenaries Category:Unit